Explore the Family Name Ris
The meaning of Ris
1. Swiss German: Alemannic variant of Ries 3 or Reis 1. 2. Swiss German: topographic name from Middle High German risi ‘water channel (made of stone or wood) on a mountain’ for someone who lived near such a structure. 3. Dutch: from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name Riso or Risolf, formed with ris-, a shortened element with a number of interpretations (for instance, possibly a cognate of German Ries). Alternatively, a patronymic from a short form of the personal name Henri, French equivalent of Henry. Compare Rys. 4. Slovenian: nickname from ris ‘lynx’, probably denoting a lithe and deft person. 5. Serbian and Croatian: metonymic occupational name from dialect ris ‘harvest of hired reapers paid in kind’. As a Croatian name it may in some cases also be a nickname from ris ‘lynx’ (see Slovenian name above). 6. Slovak (Rís): possibly a nickname from Slovak archaic ris (modern spelling rys) ‘lynx’ (see Slovenian name above). Compare Rys. 7. Slovak (Riš): unexplained. Some characteristic forenames: Dutch Martinus.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ris in the United States?
The surname Ris saw a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Ranked 78,035th in 2000 and 80,926th in 2010, its popularity dropped by approximately 3.7 percent over that decade. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname slightly increased from 228 in 2000 to 234 in 2010, marking a modest growth of 2.63 percent. The proportion per 100k people remained steady at 0.08 during both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #78,035 | #80,926 | -3.7% |
| Count | 228 | 234 | 2.63% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ris
As for the ethnicity associated with the Ris surname, there were some changes observed between 2000 and 2010, as shown by the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the ethnicity was primarily White (89.91 percent), followed by Hispanic (4.82 percent), and individuals identifying with two or more races (2.63 percent). By 2010, while the majority still identified as White, the proportion dropped slightly to 88.03 percent. The Hispanic representation showed an increase, rising to 5.98 percent. Additionally, there appeared to be new instances of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander in 2010 where none were recorded in 2000. For those identifying as two or more races, Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native, the data was either suppressed or showed no change in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.91% | 88.03% | -2.09% |
| Hispanic | 4.82% | 5.98% | 24.07% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 2.14% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 2.63% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |